With a British invasion of Philadelphia imminent and the fear that the city's historic bells would be melted into new cannons, revolutionaries smuggled the famous bell along with others in wagons to a church in Northampton Town, known today as... Allentown! Not the most elegant journey, but it worked. And the Liberty Bell Museum stands in Allentown today with an exact replica of the titular piece of history.
Allentown has some homegrown celebrities, including Amanda Seyfried, Christine Taylor and Lee Iacocca. Do you think either actress ever cuddled with a date in a used Ford Pinto? They're "just like us," after all, right?
Billy Joel's famous song "Allentown" was originally titled "Levittown." He changed the title after learning about steel plants closing down in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley. Also, it was easier to rhyme. Hey, we're not complaining.
At the Allentown Brew Works, the menu is as diverse as the beer selection. Sample mouth-watering food like "blast furnace" buffalo wings, a Meze hummus assortment, gourmet pizza and Nana's Pierogies (a Cajun twist on the traditional potato and cheese dumplings). And of course, there's an extensive list of whimsically-named local brews such as "Always Sunny Pale Ale" and "Hop Explosion." Wear pants with a stretchy elastic waist.
From treasures like a 1943 Schwinn Bike to a Model T Ford Roadster and Mack trucks-the America on Wheels Museum takes visitors through the history of how we get around. Plus there are even rooms for holding a wedding or classy bachelor party.
The Lehigh Valley is a big Pennsylvania wine region (the fastest growing in the state) and a designated American Viticultural Area (AVA). The French-American hybrid Chambourcin grape is popular here and produces wine with a full body and ruby red color. Try Amoré Wines about ten miles out of town to experience the awesome.
With classes available for children, teens and adults, The Baum School of Art is a wonderful way to wile away the hours and flex your creative muscles through painting, jewelry-making, photography and sculpture. They also have fashion design classes for tweens and teens, which might just distract them from their iron-on Justin Bieber decals.
The Civic Theatre of Allentown holds plays starring local talent and offers acting classes for young thespians from four through 18. The Civic Theatre also prides itself on being a premiere non-commercial film venue showing documentaries and art films, to help prove to your friends just how classy you are.
The Allentown Farmers Market is held year-round and offers the best in regional produce, meat, poultry, seafood and baked goods three days a week. It's so local, in fact, that if you listen really closely on Saturday mornings, you can hear people speaking traditional Pennsylvania Dutch.
With undeniably one of the best names in the minor leagues, Triple-A Phillies affiliate team the Lehigh Valley IronPigs are an extremely welcome addition to the area and played their first season at Coca-Cola Park in 2008. Forbes has named them the second most valuable minor league team in the country, which is nothing to sneeze at. If season passes are too rich for your blood, they also sell partial season passes as well.
At Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom guests can play in water, marvel at dinosaurs, shriek on thrill rides and then calm down with a nice hug from Snoopy. And if you're just looking for a relaxing afternoon, there are delicious cheese steaks and beer to give you a nice food coma.
Miller Symphony Hall is the home of Allentown Symphony Orchestra, and they like to put on a good show. The venue hosts everything from Beethoven's "Emperor" concerto to a Young Musician String Festival, not to mention extensive community and youth outreach. And during some shows parking is free!
Embrace your inner nerd by visiting the Da Vinci Science Center. The center has a live seismometer and hands-on chemistry exhibits, and also boasts a "Ocean Touch Tank," where visitors can get a feel (literally) for creatures from the sea.
Allentown has over 2,000 acres of parks-that's more acres of parkland per resident than any other city of its size in the country. Take a walk. Take a hike. Go boating. Or even put tassels on the family bikes and get out there and ride.
Since first rocking the world in 1828, the Allentown Band remains the oldest civilian band in the country. They've played for 10 presidents and they still play about 45 shows a year!
At the Lehigh Valley Grand Prix you can get your daredevil fix at speeds over 40 miles an hour on the quarter-mile track. There are also leagues for racers truly committed to becoming the best of the best of karting.
I've got nothing against the chain coffee shops, but it's always good to know where the local joe is. And in Allentown it's Hava Java Cafe. The space is warm and filled with art and dangling coffee mugs. They serve coffee, tea, specialty espresso drinks and sweets. Bonus: Every Friday night is open mic night, so bring your best beret and get up there.
The Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum houses more than 80,000 historic photographs as well as over 35,000 artifacts and a mind-boggling three million historic documents. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes if you want to see everything.
The Lights in the Parkway started small in 1996, but it's grown to attract hundreds of thousands of people every Christmas. The drive-through display is Clark W. Griswold's dream come true with over a mile of lighted trees and animated holiday displays.
The Great Allentown Fair has been running strong for 162 years and there's no sign that it's going to stop soon. The fair celebrates agricultural achievements along with a midway full of rides and games, and even dog and auto shows.
The Mayfair Festival of the Arts is a four-day riot of color. The area's painters, photographers, set designers, sound mixers, craftspeople, and basically every other kind of artist come together to strut their stuff in front of the appreciative community. Mark your calendars: This year's festival is on May 23-26.
The Bayleaf Restaurant has been serving new American and Asian fusion food for three decades. With entrees like filet tips with diced shrimp in curry or grilled veal chops in a port wine sauce, it's easy to understand why they've been an Allentown mainstay since the 1980s.
NFL Hall of Fame football player Andre Reed graduated from Dieruff High School. He went on to play for the Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins. Good job, Huskies!
Yocco's Hot Dogs-founded in 1922 by Lee Iacocca's uncle, Theodore-makes cheesesteaks that will haunt your dreams, in the best way possible. Oh, and they serve hot dogs, hamburgers and a sausage sandwich, too. What In-N-Out Burger is to the West Coast, Yocco's Hot Dogs is to Allentown.
Double Decker Records is hipster heaven in Allentown. From punk rock to classics, they have it all on vinyl. The huge inventory isn't static either, it's constantly replenished with new and used records. The employees aren't the pretentious type, and will go out of their way to make sure that you're happy.
The area's German history still shines through in Allentown's cuisine. Mainstays like scrapple, coleslaw and apple butter can be found at spots like the Sunshine Diner, Parkland Restaurant and Allentown Fairgrounds Farmers Market. Head's up-if you've never been offered scrapple, you might want to be aware that it's basically homemade fried Spam. The apple butter is delicious though.
The Museum of Indian Culture offers programs for children and adults to introduce them to Native American heritage and culture. One program you can't miss is the "Lifeways and Lore" which explains-among other things-how the rabbit lost its tail.
Beware walking around the Plaza at PPL Center on Hamilton Street at night. You might spot the ghost of a young woman who killed by a car in the 1960s wanders around, with empty eyes that will probably scare the stuffing out of you.
